How to Learn Chinese Painting

Question

The art of Chinese brush painting has been around for more than 2,000 years. The tradition started in the Han Dynasty in 200 BCE when the Chinese used stiff-hair brushes and recorded their life events with a pine soot and water mixture on rice paper, bamboo or silk. Brush strokes in Chinese painting are not always completely accurate but are suggestive, working to evoke a certain character of the subject. Chinese paintings typically depict natural landscapes or natural objects. I want to know hwo to learn Chinese painting!
.

 

Answer 1

Study paintings by Chinese artists before and during the course of your painting experience. Study the way they capture scenery, the way they make you feel and the particular brush strokes that make up the whole.

 

Learn to mix the ink stick and stone and how to incorporate color on your palette. Mix your black ink block with the ink stick by pouring a half teaspoon of clean water into the round depression in the ink block. Lightly grind the ink stick to create a smooth black liquid. Press small pea size dabs of your Chinese watercolors onto your palette and mix these with the black ink as necessary to make darker hues. Mix with more water for lighter colors.

 

Practice the brush strokes with a stiff-hair brush. Practice traditional line strokes, dot and long dot strokes, curve strokes, side strokes, blended strokes and press-and-lift strokes. All strokes should be simple and fluid. These are useful in any Chinese painting you will compose.

 

Focus on the essence of the subject you are painting. How does the subject make you feel? Try to transfer that into your work. Each brush stroke should evoke character and stir a sense of spirit in your painting.

 

Arrange the objects on the page in a manner that uses space effectively. When you look at it, you should not get the impression that something is out of balance. First sketching in pencil what you will paint can help you to know where things should be placed.

 

Answer 2

Step-by-Step for you to learn Chinese Brush Painting

 

This traditional style of Chinese painting began around 4,000 B.C. Artists tackled a range of subject matters, the most popular being images of nature such as landscapes, flowers and birds. The image is recalled from the mind and not drawn from life or planned in a sketch. The painting is the symbolic expression of the principles of the Tao--simplicity, balance and harmony.

 

Mix your ink with water. Traditionally, artists used Pine Wood Soot ink, which is sold as a stick that you must grind before adding water. You can change the depth of color, translucency and thickness of ink based on the amount of water added. You can use one color ink to create a range of different effects by changing the consistency with water. For example, light washes are used for shading and deeper hues create outlines. Use a steady medium speed when handling the brush so you don't lose control or show hesitation in your lines.

 

Use your brush and ink to create an image using simple lines of varying thickness. The most successful Chinese brush paintings are composed of simplified forms created by flat, geometric patterns and stylized lines.

 

Consider the arrangement of your painting. Chinese painting is not restricted by representations of reality so you are free to experiment with your representation. Brush painting often employs negative or blank space for background, which adds to the rhythm and balance of the piece. This creates flow and cohesiveness in the work.

 

Use techniques for adding shading and texture, called cunfa, as well as dotting methods, called dianfa, to add visual interest to your painting. Create splashes and dots by dabbing your brush on the paper in a regular pattern. Keep in mind that watery ink will bleed into the paper, although this can also be a desired effect.

 

Include an inscription of your choice to finish the piece, as was done by many scholar painters. This can be your name and date, an inspirational quote or an empowering Chinese character.